


ambedo

by hyucks37_5



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: First Meetings, Hot Chocolate, M/M, One Shot, Rain, Thunderstorms, but not really, call me by your name: the "girl in red" of gay men, hyuck is too young to die, hyuck just wants to get away sometimes, just in this case, mark is the BEST nephew, music as a form of escapism, stranger danger is irrelevant when the stranger in question is cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-05
Updated: 2020-06-05
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:35:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24560899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hyucks37_5/pseuds/hyucks37_5
Summary: sometimes, the best place to be during a storm is outside.alternatively: donghyuck didn’t exactly leave his house at 8 pm with the intention of finding a cute, awkward boy in a park, but he figures there are worse ways his day could have gone
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee
Comments: 7
Kudos: 41





	ambedo

**Author's Note:**

> HAPPY HYUCK DAY!!

they say the most dangerous place to be during a storm is an open field. of course, it’s still probably not the best idea to sit at the base of the tallest tree in the area, but donghyuck figures the second worst is like the 1000th best or something right? truthfully, he just wants to be somewhere other than his house at the moment and while the clouds are grey, he hasn’t felt rain yet so he figures he’ll stay for a bit longer. 

as he observes the small park he found himself in about 45 minutes ago, his eyes land on something—someone—that he’s almost positive was not there before. although he can’t say that for sure; he hasn’t looked up from his spot by the tree since he got there basically, too wrapped up in his music. (he’s recently gotten into indie music and it was soothing to sit and listen to his music with the birds chirping around him. or at least they were before dark clouds started moving in and the wind got stronger). 

the figure in the distance seems to kind of linger around the playset that occupies the other side of the park from donghyuck. he thinks that the person looks about his height with a similar build but he’s not sure. his judgment has never been the best at long distances. he debates on whether or not to move closer to get a better look at the person, maybe confirm for himself that it’s not some creep waiting for the right moment to abduct him. not that donghyuck thinks of himself as an easy target—on top of multiple self-defense classes his parents forced on him, he could scream _very_ loud. the entire neighborhood would know the instant someone laid their hands on him. 

he decides he doesn’t care enough to move, and he’s about to turn back to his phone to skip the song that just came on (some weird ballad with electronic sounds in the background. why would someone put this on spotify? and, more importantly, why was it on his playlist?) when the figure begins to move closer. 

donghyuck watches warily as the person walks closer to his tree and he’s soon able to judge that it’s definitely a man. a boy really, donghyuck realizes, who couldn’t be that much older than himself. 

the boy continues to walk, looking incredibly awkward and out of place. donghyuck has to hold back a snicker. when donghyuck can finally fully make out his face, he realizes that this boy is cute. very cute. he didn’t exactly leave his house at 8pm with the intention of finding a cute, awkward boy in a park, but he figures there are worse ways his day could have gone. 

the cute boy stops a few feet from donghyuck and his tall tree right as the first rumble of thunder shakes the park. his mouth was open as if to say something, but it instantly shuts and he nearly jumps out of his skin as the rumble cuts through the quiet. donghyuck blinks, taking out his earbuds to listen, both to the suddenly very angry sky and in case the cute boy in front of him decides to speak. 

donghyuck looks the boy in the eye and raises an eyebrow at him, attempting to convey _what do you want_ and _take me, beautiful stranger, i’m yours_ with his expression simultaneously. he’s not sure how close he gets to either of those. the boy startles at the direct eye contact, as if he just realized where he was. 

“hi?” he says hesitantly and donghyuck decides that he’s probably the cutest person he’s ever set his eyes on. he feels his teenage angst evaporate. whoosh. completely gone. 

“hi,” donghyuck replies, “did you...need something?” the boy may be cute but donghyuck is still a firm believer in stranger danger. for all he knows, awkward cute boys could be the new luring tactic serial killers are using these days. he’s far too pretty to die young. 

“oh! yes! uh sorry. sorry. i’m...um...” the boy struggled through the sentence and donghyuck decides that this boy couldn’t possibly work for a serial killer. you can’t fake that level of social awkwardness. 

“you just. looked sad and alone and it’s thundering and a storm is about to start and i was worried because no one should be out in a storm like this and—yeah.” the boy cuts off his own rambling, eyes not leaving the ground as a light pink blush dusts his cheeks. donghyuck finds the whole thing absolutely endearing.

he takes a second to speak, not wanting to give away that he was, in fact, both sad and lonely. he directed an easy-going smile at the other boy, hoping to ease his nerves at least a little bit. 

“i wouldn’t exactly call some thunder a storm yet,” donghyuck teased. he wasn’t sure what it was about the boy that made him want to both endlessly tease him and give him the biggest hug of his life. “i could use some company though, i’m not sure where the birds went.” he tacked on, finishing with a small pout. 

the boy's face lit up and he crossed the rest of the way over to donghyuck, taking a seat a polite distance away from him. donghyuck didn’t even know his name, yet he was dying for the boy to sit closer. maybe his self-preservation instincts were worse than he thought. 

“i’m mark, by the way. i just realized i should have introduced myself before sitting down, that was probably creepy of m—“ 

“mark.” donghyuck cut him off, testing the name to see how it felt. he thought it would sound pretty good right next to his own. “i’m donghyuck. nice to meet you.” he finished by bowing his head towards mark before looking up with a flourish. ~~the boy~~ mark giggled, and donghyuck resolved to do whatever it took to hear that sound again. 

“so...what are you doing out here?” mark asked, glancing around donghyuck as if it would give him any indication. “if you don’t mind me asking, that is.” mark rushed out, panic returning to his face. 

“i’m just...sitting...listening to music...enjoying the weather...contemplating life...” donghyuck listed dramatically, internally sighing in relief when the panic left marks face again. he wasn’t sure why the other was so worried but he would do his best to make him feel comfortable. he didn’t want to consider the implications of this thought on his self created ‘tough guy’ persona. 

“what were you listening to?” 

donghyuck picked up one of his earbuds and offered the other to mark. at this point, he was pretty sure the boy was just another victim of summer boredom, and if he ended up dying, at least his killer was adorable. 

he hit play on the music and instantly the gentle pluck of a guitar filled the earbuds. 

_‘oh to see without my eyes, the first time that you kissed me, boundless by the time I cried, I built your walls around me’_

marks head shot up as sufjan stevens soft voice continued to croon a story of love and loss in the two boys ears. 

he looked at donghyuck with wide eyes before asking “you like _call me by your name_ too?” 

it was obvious to donghyuck by his tone that he was interested in more than just donghyuck’s movie preferences. 

“i love it,” donghyuck says honestly. “the way it emphasizes that love is something that shouldn’t be regretted or treated as a mistake, in whatever form it takes, is really beautiful.” he makes eye contact with mark as he says the last part, hoping he gets the answer to his unasked question. 

mark nods, letting a silent sigh escape his lips. “yeah. me too.” 

the two sat in quiet for the remainder of the song, letting the lyrics and the melodic sounds of the instruments wash over them, leaving a magical feeling in their wake. 

as the song finishes and a new one begins, one donghyuck is less emotionally attached to, he turns the volume down and faces mark. 

“what are _you_ doing out here then, mark...?” he sends mark a questioning glance and a small smile blooms on mark’s face. 

“lee. although that would be mr. lee to you.” he retorts, puffing out his chest and the entire image is so ridiculous donghyuck can’t help but laugh. 

“mark lee. well i’m lee donghyuck. emphasis on the lee.” donghyuck retorts with a grin. he knows it was a stupid joke, but that just makes the way mark's face scrunches up as he laughs all the sweeter. he likes seeing this new, teasing side of mark even more. it was equally dorky, sure, but even more endearing. donghyuck couldn’t believe he could get any cuter. 

“well to answer your question, mr. lee donghyuck,” mark began, and donghyuck felt a shiver creep up his spine at the way his name sounded from marks mouth. “i was looking for my little cousin's jacket. she lives nearby and my aunt said she left it in the park and sent me to go get it. and then...well i saw you and you know the rest.” 

donghyuck couldn’t believe it. the boy was this cute and also a good nephew to his aunt? absolutely precious. then a thought struck him. 

“you’re not from around here, are you mark?” 

“well actually, i’ve just moved here to live with my aunt from canada. this might not even be the right park honestly. i got a little turned around earlier.” mark admitted, not meeting donghyuck’s eyes as embarrassment took over his face. 

“well i’m glad you chose this park then, canada.” donghyuck replied, pairing the nickname with a wink. it had the desired effect, making mark’s cheeks turn bright red. 

“what about you then?” mark prompted, determined to steer the conversation into safer territory. one that allowed for less flirting and him to return to the normal skin tone of a human being and not the relative of a tomato. “do you live around here?” 

donghyuck nodded, pointing up the street. “i live like 5 houses down from here. i come here a lot to think or be alone.” 

at that comment, mark looked down. “sorry if you wanted to be alone.” he mumbled, sounding guilty. 

“no no mark! it’s okay, i’m glad to have the company now anyways. it’s mainly to be away from my family. they can be a little overbearing sometimes.” donghyuck attempts a smile, but he’s sure it comes out looking more like a grimace instead. 

“yeah. me too.” mark offers in agreement, and what the statement lacks in words, it makes up in empathy and a comforting tone. donghyuck feels like mark understands him more than half of his friends at school. he’s not sure what to make of that. 

——————

donghyuck is about to say something, ask another question about mark or make a comment about the song playing when a fat raindrop lands directly in front of them. 

“shit.” donghyuck comments and mark barely has time to nod in agreement before the rain is falling, fast and hard on them. they’re partly shielded by the trees, but donghyuck knows they’ll only help for so long. 

he leaps up, grabbing marks hand without thinking and begins to run. donghyuck can hear mark make a confused sound as he’s pulled up and into a sprint, but he’s laughing and donghyuck is laughing and it just feels right. 

donghyuck turns to mark, grinning, and asks “want to get out of the rain? i have hot chocolate.” mark grins back at him. “absolutely. i could never pass up hot chocolate.” 

the two boys continue their sprint down the street and up donghyuck’s driveway and donghyuck is laughing so hard it takes him a few tries to get his key into the door. 

he finally pushes it open and they both collapse inside, taking their shoes off and leaving them at the top of the rack to dry. 

mark glances around the entryway curiously and asks “where are your parents?”. 

donghyuck just shrugs. “probably in their room.” he walks into the hall before yelling “MOM I HAVE A FRIEND OVER.” 

mark hears his mother say something in response, but he’s more focused on donghyuck’s house. the walls are mostly empty and the furniture looks practically new. his and donghyuck’s home lives aren’t all that different, he thinks. 

donghyuck leads him by the wrist into the kitchen, dropping him by some chairs and continuing into another room before re-emerging seconds later, two towels in hand. he gives one to mark who accepts it gratefully. 

mark shakes his hair out like a dog despite having the towel and donghyuck shrieks and slaps mark, but he’s still laughing. he can’t understand how he can feel so comfortable with someone he met barely 2 hours ago, but they just _clicked_. 

“hot chocolate still sound good?” donghyuck confirms and mark nods. two mugs are then filled with milk (almond, of course. donghyuck is not a vegan, however he is very against the evil dairy industry. he tells mark as much and receives only a laugh and a smile that looks too fond. again, he’s not sure what to make of that). 

the two boys sit at the kitchen table with their mugs of hot chocolate, spending far too long swapping childhood stories and anecdotes, eagerly asking questions and learning as much about each other as they can. 

the hot chocolate remaining in donghyuck’s mug is practically ice cold when he remembers it’s there.

———————

eventually, mark has to leave. part of donghyuck is tempted to pretend he’s concerned about mark driving home in the rain and convince him to stay so they can keep talking, but it stopped raining a while ago. it’s past midnight, and mark tells donghyuck he has to get home so his aunt doesn’t worry, although donghyuck notes that his voice is tinged with regret. 

donghyuck hesitates at the doorway. he wants to reach out, say something, do something to confirm that he’ll see mark again. he’s normally good at feigning confidence when he’s nervous, honed by years of musical theater and acting. but this is different, he thinks, because he has no way to gauge if mark even _wants_ to see him again. 

he’s saved from any more internal debate when mark shyly hands him his phone. 

“can i get your number?” he asks, looking away from donghyuck’s eyes the second they meet. 

‘you can have a lot more than my number’ donghyuck almost blurts, but he stops himself by just grabbing the phone.

his number is saved with his name and a slur of emojis, with no less than 3 hearts and a sun. donghyuck thinks it’s perfect. 

mark turns red as he glances at donghyuck’s contact name, but makes no move to change it. he calls donghyuck so he has mark’s number and that’s it. neither of them can think of any excuse to prolong the goodbye further. 

mark bites his lip. “i should...” he trails off, motioning toward the open door, but his eyes don’t leave donghyuck. 

“yeah...” donghyuck agrees but he stays still, trying to muster up all of his courage and confidence. 

he presses himself slightly up and leans forward, leaving a small kiss on mark’s cheek. 

“see you soon mark. you better text me!” he says, grinning to hide his nerves. mark reaches a hand up to touch the place donghyuck kissed before he grins back in full force. donghyuck always thought of himself as the sun, being a generally bright and happy person, but he thinks he’s never seen anything brighter than mark’s smile. 

“of course! who else is going to show me around?” he returns before letting his grin settle into something softer, more gentle. “bye hyuck.” 

mark doesn’t stop smiling at donghyuck as he backs out the door. 

(if he trips walking backwards down the driveway and donghyuck spends the next five minutes laughing his ass off in the doorway, that’s no one’s business but their own). 

**Author's Note:**

> ambedo: n. a kind of melancholic trance in which you become completely absorbed in vivid sensory details—raindrops skittering down a window, tall trees leaning in the wind, clouds of cream swirling in your coffee—which leads to a dawning awareness of the haunting fragility of life, a mood whose only known cure is the vuvuzela (the dictionary of obscure sorrows). 
> 
> this was just an indulgence fic in which i make characters take on my real life problems. oops. 
> 
> ps. hyuck's family issues can be interpreted however you want, but i didn't write them with the intention of hinting at abuse or anything. just typical, overbearing parents that have your best interests at heart, but you sometimes have to get away from them and seek refuge in your neighborhood park. 
> 
> p.p.s. listen to mystery of love on loop while its raining. you won't regret it.
> 
> p.p.p.s. i may write a sequel to this but also i may not. stay tuned!


End file.
